The field of the invention is personal baggage.
Personal baggage is generally used to carry clothing, papers, toys and portable items such as personal hygiene devices, toys, tools and so forth. Many different types of personal baggage are known, including formal or casual apparel such as handbags and brief cases, travel containers such as suitcases and garment bags, and sporting or educationally directed items such as knapsacks and school bags.
A common element of all baggage is that it provides an available enclosed carrying volume. Where the baggage is designed to carry a single item, the item may fill at least 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or even 90% of the available enclosed carrying volume. In such special purpose baggage the carried item is also substantially constrained within the carrying space, so that it cannot move about very much. Examples include a carrying case designed for a Palm Pilot(trademark), or a padded case for a laptop computer. In other instances the baggage may be intended more for general purpose use. Thus, a knapsack or pocketbook are each used to carry any number of items, with many of the items may fill less than 50% of the available enclosed carrying volume, and not particularly constrained as to their locations within the carrying space.
Of particular interest are general purpose baggage items that have at least one shoulder strap. Knapsacks fall into this category, as well as some ladies"" pocketbooks, many generic portable computer carrying bags, and so forth. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cknapsackxe2x80x9d refers generically to all manners of general purpose backpacks, back sacks, rucksacks, hiking bags, day packs and the like. Of even greater interest are general purpose baggage items that have two shoulder straps, i.e., those designed to be carried on the shoulders like a knapsack.
It is known to include an alarm on or inside a piece of baggage in least three different ways. In a first category, it is known to protect personal baggage using an unauthorized entry alarm. Known alarms in this category are generally, or perhaps exclusively, at least partially external to the baggage, and this feature may be intended to provide a visual deterrent against theft. U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,768 to Mann, for example, describes a typical unauthorized entry alarm which relies upon disengagement of an external strap to trigger an audible alarm. In a second category it is known to protect personal baggage with a motion or proximity alarm. U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,140 to Dixon, for example, discloses an alarm which sounds when baggage is pulled from the owner""s grasp, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,706 to Chen discloses a proximity alarm that sounds when someone or something gets too close to the baggage. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,559 describes an audible or visible alarm which is activated when movement of a protected article is sensed. In a third category, a remote control alarm circuitry is used to protect personal baggage. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,702 to Kuo, for example, hand bags, briefcases and other items are provided with a remotely activated alarm which provides both an audible signal, and also a high voltage shock.
Significantly, all of the aforementioned baggage alarms are intended solely to discourage or prevent theft. In fact, the purpose of such alarms is to annoy, alert, and to discourage retention of the baggage while the alarm is sounding. The present inventor, however, has recognized that the annoying nature of baggage alarms make them unappealing for use in conjunction with sporting or educationally directed baggage such as knapsacks and lunch boxes, especially where such baggage is marketed towards children. Nevertheless, children are prone to losing both their personal items and their knapsacks or other baggage containing such personalty, (from theft or otherwise), and there is a need to combine sporting or educational directed baggage with some sort of alarm, as well as some sort of entertaining or at least pleasing sound playback device.
It is also known to include an electronic sound recorder and playback device inside a piece of baggage. For example, with respect to special purpose carrying cases, it is known to include a handheld dictation machine such as a Dictaphone(trademark) inside a Dictaphone(trademark) carrying case. Similarly, a laptop computer and microphone can be used as an electronic sound recorder and playback device, and can be stored or carried in a computer bag or case. But in each of those instances the recording/playback device a relatively large portion (defined herein to be at least 30%) of the total available carrying volume of the case.
With respect to general purpose baggage, such as a pocketbook or knapsack, it is known to carry an electronic sound recorder and playback device inside the baggage. In those circumstances the recording/playback device may take up only a relatively small portion of the available carrying volume, but then the device is not constrained to a designated recorder/playback device location within the baggage.
There are instances where it would be desirable to include an electronic sound recorder and playback device more or less constrained to a designated location inside a general purpose baggage item, but relatively small in comparison to the total carrying volume. For example, it would be useful for a student to have a dictation machine inside his or her knapsack, but situated in a small pouch rather than moving about freely within the main carrying space, or perhaps attached with Velcro walls of the knapsack or to the flap.
The present invention is directed to baggage comprising a relatively small electronic sound recorder and playback device, and a designated location for the device that constrains the device in a relatively fixed position.
The baggage is preferably a general purpose piece, and more preferably has at least one or two shoulder straps. Exemplary pieces of baggage are knapsacks and pocketbooks, although computer carrying cases and some strap containing briefcases may also fit within these limitations.
The electronic sound recorder and playback device may contain any suitable electronic circuitry, and may advantageously be configured to provide or at least assist in providing an alarm. The device may also be configured to record speech, music, or other sounds. The recorder/playback device should have sufficient capacity to record at least 120 seconds of speech, although both greater or lesser capacities are also contemplated.
The recorder/playback device may have any suitable actuation/control mechanism, including a movement actuated switch, or a distally actuated switch. The device may be constrained to the designated location by mechanical mechanism (e.g., a sewn seam, a pouch, Velcro(trademark), etc), a magnet, or chemical (e.g., glue, adhesive, etc).
Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components.